Don't silence the Goat Island foghorn

The changes to the Goat Island Light foghorn are a problem on at least three different levels.

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seacoastonline.com

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Posted Aug. 21, 2014 at 2:00 AM

Posted Aug. 21, 2014 at 2:00 AM

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The changes to the Goat Island Light foghorn are a problem on at least three different levels.

First, there's the question of communication. In this case there appears to have been none between the U.S. Coast Guard, which maintains the foghorn, and the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust, which owns and operates the lighthouse and the land it sits upon.

Executive Director Tom Bradbury says no one informed the Trust of the foghorn changes until after they were made, a fact U.S. Coast Guard officer in charge Rob Lehmann admits was an oversight on his part. While it may have been an honest mistake, not telling Goat Island's owner or lighthouse keeper of those changes ahead of time is one whopper of an oversight.

Local fishermen seemed shocked by the changes as well, despite Lehmann saying that the news was included in a mariners' update a few months back. With a change this large, one would think that the communication would've been broader — notices tacked up in public places, sent to town officials, perhaps even a public meeting. One can't help but think that all of that might have taken place if the Trust had been informed ahead of time, given their excellent stewardship of the harbor and relationship with those who make their living there.

The second area of concern is the belief that it is complaints from summer residents that have silenced the foghorn. While the Coast Guard maintains this is not the sole reason for the change, there is enough credible evidence to suggest that noise complaints may have played some part in the changeover to an on-demand foghorn.

While we are cautious to enter into any debate over the rights of those "from away" to make changes in their adopted home towns (most of us from away pay our taxes and have a vested interest in the communities we have chosen to call home, just as "natives" do), we are troubled that a desire for noise control may have contributed to changing a time-honored coastal tradition such as the Goat Island Light foghorn.

There are those who visit this area, fall in love with it, but once they become a part of the community adopt an attitude of (to borrow the title of an off-Broadway musical), "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change." While change can be a positive force for any community, expecting others to give up their traditions simply to make your life easier/better/quieter is simply not OK.

More importantly, and this is the crux of the matter, is that the changes made may be compromising the safety of those the foghorn is designed to protect.

Boaters needing foghorn assistance must now request it electronically when coming into port. This is accomplished by keying a microphone five times within 10 seconds on marine radio channel 83 to signal the horn.

This is all well and good if boaters have marine radios, but some do not. And recreational crafts such as kayaks and canoes have no radio equipment at all.

Further, in the process of covering this issue, two local officials attempted to key the foghorn, and both were unsuccessful. This leads us to question the safety of all boaters who must rely upon this syastem on foggy days and nights, with nothing to guide them in but the sound of the horn.

Bradbury said of the foghorn, "It is the sound of a working harbor, a part of our heritage," and we agree. He also said, "Ours has always been an important harbor, a place of safety between Kittery and Portland."

We believe it can be again.

It's time — for tradition's sake, for safety's sake — to restore the traditional foghorn to Goat Island Light.